Teddy Sourias, owner of BRU Craft & Wurst and Finn McCools, announces the opening of U-Bahn (1320 Chestnut Street) at 4:00pm this Thursday, March 5, 2015. Descend from the streets of Midtown Village into Philadelphia’s new underground stop for all things local - food, beer and music. Eighteen taps will be pouring an all Pennsylvania draft list and draft cocktails. The menu will showcase house-made pickles, cheese boards, old school bar snacks and twists on Philadelphia’s favorite sandwiches. The stage and state-of-the-art sound system will put the spotlight on emerging local talent. Retro arcade games will provide nostalgic fun between trips.

Starting hours will be 4:00pm to 2:00am Sundays through Fridays, and Noon to 2:00am on Saturdays. Live music and DJs will take the stage on select days during opening month. Coasting ahead into spring, live entertainment will be on stage three to five nights per week. For boarding information, call 215-800-1079, visit www.ubahnphilly.com, follow @ubahnphilly and like U-Bahn Philly.

OPENING WEEK

U-Bahn makes its debut this Thursday, March 5, 2015 at 4:00pm. Live music and DJs will take to the stage starting at 6:00pm. The line-up for entertainment will include musician Brian LaPann and DJ Ben Arsenal, plus others to be announced later this week on Twitter @ubahnphilly. There is no cover charge and admission is twenty-one and up only.

This Saturday, March 9, 2015, starting at 2:00pm, U-Bahn hosts its first official beer event, Weyerbacher: Some Things Old, Some Things Nouveau. Weyerbacher Brewing Company will pour a mix of old and new, fresh and aged brews, featuring several limited offerings, including:

Above selections will be available for a limited time until the kegs kick.

STAGE AND MUSIC

A fifteen-foot stage with state-of-the-art sound system that will be stomping ground for established and local emerging talent. Look for regular list of talent on bi-weekly and monthly basis, plus one-time performances. Enjoy everything from indie rock, bluegrass, jazz, latin music, reggae, DJs and cover bands. Goal is to showcase new talent that will quickly outgrow U-Bahn space and become the region’s next big thing.

Opening line-up will include bands and DJs on select nights. Later in spring, look for music three to five nights per week.

BAND CONTEST

U-Bahn seeks Philadelphia’s next big thing to be the website house-band. The winning band will receive $1,000 cash prize, exposure on the U-Bahn website, a live show on U-Bahn stage, and, of course, endless mini-pretzels and mustard. Stay tuned on Facebook and Twitter for entry and voting details coming soon.The final band will be announced during the opening tap of Philly Beer Week. More details are coming soon.

DRINK

U-Bahn will pour from 18 taps at two bars with a custom tower featuring Yards Philadelphia Pale Ale, Brawler Root Beer and three draft cocktails. The 11 regular taps will all rotate based upon style, all PA breweries, with an emphasis on German styles. Hand pump beer engine will feature unique beers, brewed and then cask conditioned with special ingredients specifically for U-Bahn. Brewpubs from around the state will be tapped to send special kegs not otherwise available in the city. Other drinks will include quality rye whiskies, a Pennsylvania-centric wine list and cocktail program using local liquors and ingredients.

“Given our emphasis at BRU in imported German lager drafts, we have found very little space for the German-style lagers that our local breweries thrive on producing,” said Sourias. “It is important for all bars to support their local breweries, as the products are always fresh and it keeps jobs and $ in our local economy. Faced with a chance to do just this, we jumped on the opportunity. U-Bahn is the name of the subway system in Berlin, thus chosen to emphasize the local aspect of this concept. We decided to do PA-only drafts so that we could include some of the ‘old faithful’ German style breweries from the Western part of the state, such as Penn Brewing company, as well as some of the exciting newcomers like Bullfrog and Pizza Boy.”

Happy Hour will run Monday through Friday, from 4:00pm to 7:00pm. Starting drink specials will include $4 drafts, $5 well liquor (neat, rocks, single mixer), $5 House Wine. Starting food specials will include half off your choice of a sandwich, cheese and pickle of the day. Also, look for out for off-menu food specials during happy hour.

FOOD

U-Bahn’s menu features cheeseboards, house-made pickles, old school bar snacks, unique plays on sandwiches and daily/weekly specials. Vegetarian and vegan options are available. An emphasis will be placed on local produce and cheese.

“Our sandwich design is “Philly Street Food” focused, to take advantage of the amazing street food culture that we have in this city,”said Sourias. “All cities have one or two trademark sandwiches, and by my estimation Philly has over half a dozen. Our goal is to put modern “cheffed up” twists on some of these favorites.”

Produce for the pickle program will be sourced locally from farms in Pennsylvania and South Jersey. Cheeseboard selections will come from Valley Shepherd, located in South Jersey but also with a sales stand and small production facility in the Reading Terminal Market.

Executive Chef Andrew Gaspar will oversee the kitchens for both U-Bahn and BRU Craft & Wurst. His menus showcase his experience in classic German cuisine and pub food that he developed from working in kitchens at the Belgian Café, Brauhaus Schmidts, Stateside and Monks Café.

VIBE AND DECOR

U-Bahn is a 3,000 square foot subterranean clubhouse that plays off of the German railway system (Untergrundbahn). Dimitri Armenakis (Lance Kramer & Associates) served as the lead architect, and Armenakis (with support from Masterminds Agency) coordinated interior design. The final product is a fusion of modern and industrial styles with carefully places accents and flourishes of color.

The exterior entrance off Chestnut Street is a twist on a transit stop in Germany. As you descend below the streets of Midtown Village look out for the oversized U that hangs above to confirm your trip. An alternative secret entrance can also be found inside BRU Craft & Wurst (1318 Chestnut) for nights when you want a connecting trip to 40 more drafts and do-it-yourself pouring stations upstairs.

The main bar is twenty-feet long and features a granite slab top with room for up to 25 stools. The base features reclaimed woods, back-lit color accents and ample outlets to charge your cell phone. A giant HD smart television looks down on the bar and will feature a custom-made railway tour from Masterminds Agency. The second bar features a wall made from slates from spent whiskey and wine barrels that were then used to age ShawneeCraft beer. Authentic railroad ties line the walls on each side of the bar, and extend to the arcade that features Mortal Combat and EA Madden Football, plus two multi-game machines with 600+ old school and ‘90s favorites.

In the center of the main floor two-tops provide seating with tables made from oak slats centercut from local trees fashioned by local craftsmen. Two private rooms are nestled at the base of the building’s former elevator shafts with seating for six to eight people. These will be used for private rentals and events, as well as VIP seating on busy nights. Polished concrete floors now lay underfoot at this former Huyler’s Candy (1800s) and Jeans West (1900s) location. As you enter from BRU, or on the side of the stage, keep an eye out for waiting passengers in custom murals from Masterminds Agency.